Murray Looks Strong Again; Loaded Sunday Schedule With Nadal, Djokovic at French Open

Nothing left to say about Andy vs Delpo – there was no thread offered until now – so all comments mangled up in other threads.

June 4th, 2017 at 10:55 am

Miles Raonic just lost to Carrera a few minutes ago…

June 4th, 2017 at 10:56 am

Nadal gutted a good clay court player in Agut. Now for sure he is going win this thing. The way Nadal is playing now , well, he is unstoppable at FO. Nadal y la decima.

June 4th, 2017 at 11:30 am

J-Kath – one point about Andy vs DelPo…I think it’s an underrated rivalry. Their last few matches have been really good.

June 4th, 2017 at 11:50 am

RZ: Yes, I was at the Davis Cup UK vs Argentine. Sadly that was when Del Potro lost his place in my favourite players list – not because he won against Andy – but his pantomine later with his Coach put me off. Now I feel a bit sad for him because I think he’ll always be hampered by the wrist operations he’s had to have and will not achieve his earlier potential.

Also, he could well have lost to Nicholas Almagro had the accident not happened…it was one set each at the time.

PS: I agree with Skeezer – Nadal looks a certainty for his 10th FO triumph.

June 4th, 2017 at 12:16 pm

Kath: did we somehow miss the thread that read: Murray scrapes through against JMDP and narrowly avoids a 5th set…..;)

June 4th, 2017 at 12:22 pm

ARV is not winning this match. He may be leading Djokovic now, but his shot selselection is not smart.

June 4th, 2017 at 1:05 pm

Saw some hoghlights of Nadal’s match and his FH cordscoirt is heeavy, deep and open upthe BH of his oponents. Maybe was the sunny day, but his strokes were vintage 2008/2010 Nada RG run. Hard to see him not winning playing like that.

Also impressed with Thiem run so far. He is winning easy not losong focus as he used to in the past. Looking like a champion as well.

Novak down a break, but to ealry to get concerned. Still thinks he comes through. He may save the best for last.

Nadal my have peaked to ealry with this last two flawless performances. In last few years he is not ably to suatain that level for a whole tourney, let’s see. But he sure does look loke on a mission for La Decime.

June 4th, 2017 at 1:06 pm

Djokovic keeps leaving a lot of the court open (which may not be a huge issue as he is fast) but ARV keeps mostly hitting back toward Djokovic instead of the open court.

June 4th, 2017 at 1:22 pm

Calling Team Thiem, he’s looking very good and, as Daniel says, winning quick and easy with minimum effort.
Kachanov next up for Andy, I don’t think they’ve ever played, so a bit of an unknown.

June 4th, 2017 at 1:39 pm

Team Thiem is ready for whatever challenge awaits!

June 4th, 2017 at 1:41 pm

It looks like ARV have nothing left to offer he gave his all in the first set but still came up short.

June 4th, 2017 at 1:53 pm

At least two blockbuster matches in bottom half: 1 – Djoko x Thiem – let’s see of Thiem can bring something new on his current form or the Djoko bad match up for him continue.
2 – Either Nadal x Djoko (always a classic) or Nadal x Thiem (only player to beat Nadal this clay season).

June 4th, 2017 at 3:30 pm

Margot @ 12.22

We did indeed Margot…I’ve suddenly got a mouthful of bile in my mouth – excuse me while I spit it out…..

June 4th, 2017 at 4:11 pm

Congrats to the new Team of Thiem…hope he does well – but golly he pants a lot – can he successfully get thru a 5-setter if faced with it….?

Nole showed determination this evening – no longer an easy target. What tickled me, at moments of despair he was almost the image of Andy…not sure that will please anyone – but Oh heck what does it matter….

Enjoy tomorrow – meanwhile Willow, Jason Statham is on….goodie bye.

June 4th, 2017 at 4:23 pm

I pick both Djokovic and Nadal to progress. I wouldn’t mind Thiem to advance, but I more want Nadal and Djokovic to have more chapters in their epic rivalry.
Odds would strongly favor Nadal whoever he gets in the Semis. I’d like Nadal to lose but get the consolation of the year end championships trophy to knock off another big one he never won.
But I am a realist. A blowout would suck for Thiem or Novak, but a close loss against Rafa would not be something to be ashamed of. And a win over Rafa is still possible. It’s sport and why sport is so good as a gambling interest – because the unlikely can happen and odds always involve guesstimates.

June 4th, 2017 at 4:47 pm

Thiem and Djoko can beat Nadal. Them is super sharp and Djoko knows more than anybody how to beat Nadal, specially on clay.

So far Nadal is impressive, but last 2-3 years he is somewhat inconsistent at times. Just one sub par match or tense match and an upset can happen. Last time he reached beyond QF in RG was 2014, so he will be under pressure as well in semis. He knows there is 3 years since he last won a Slam. Even if it is RG, the tourney where he is most successful at (never lost a final).

June 4th, 2017 at 5:18 pm

Woohoo! I’ve moved into first place in the bracket!!! (This is as of yesterday’s results – doesn’t look like today’s have been updated yet)

June 4th, 2017 at 5:49 pm

Daniel: How can you say that Nadal’s performance over “the last 2-3 years he is somewhat inconsistent at times”? Surely, the same applies to all of the top players?

I agree with Chrisford 1. Yes. I’d like to say that Thiem’s day will likely come (if he stops panting after 2 sets)…but I don’t think his time is now.

Djoko – You say he knows how to beat Rafa especially on clay….a very unusual statement considering Rafa’s record and his current excellent performance. Plus, Rafa is the least inconsistent of all top players at the moment – he hasn’t been in the least danger of being defeated whereas Nole has. Neither of us can say X, Y, Z, for sure – and good for Nole that he bit his bottom lip and used his vast experience – but his performance has been less convincing than Rafa’s.

I’d base my very best guess that the only player who will definitely be in the semi-final is Rafa. The question is who will face him? I say Nole and I think you are saying Thiem. We won’t have long to wait.

June 4th, 2017 at 6:41 pm

Well done RZ: Long may it last as long as you’ve got ??????….ah well…I knew you wouldn’t tell me.

June 4th, 2017 at 6:47 pm

J-Kath,

Nadal after 2014 hardly lay a flawless tournament from start to finish, MC 2016 maybe be one.

He oscillates sometimes and has a below par match in the run. Hence< I mention he may have a "bad match" at this years RG. So far he is impeccable.

Djoko is the player with most wins on clay over Nadal, 6 I believe, beat him twice in MC, once in Madrid, twice in Rome and 1 in RG in most convincing fashion. HE also is the only player with more than 20 wins over Nadal and the player with most wins against him (26), Fed is the second at 14.

So yeah Djoko knows how to beat Nadal themes, even on clay, even with Nadal still far ahead in clay HxH as he is against everybody he played more than 5 times on clay.

I also think will be Nole in semis against Nadal. Them is yet to come close to beating Novak. Always a first, but with the way Djoko beating in Rome and as we saw Djoko peak late in Slams before, I will also go with him.

June 4th, 2017 at 7:31 pm

@J-Kath – ironically one of my few wrong picks was DelPo over Andy. I have Nadal winning over Stan in the final

June 4th, 2017 at 7:39 pm

Nobody stands a chance on Thursday against this Nadal, particulary with hot, sunny, dry day predicted.

As for Nole vs Thiem match, it’ll be lousy, cold, rainy day, ball will hardly bounce and will be painfully slow with hardly any spin, advantage Thiem.

June 4th, 2017 at 7:54 pm

WB,

I think men’s semifinals are planned for Friday, or am I wrong?

June 4th, 2017 at 11:56 pm

VP,
I was working on every second day match basis, I could be wrong, I really don’t know.

June 5th, 2017 at 12:14 am

BTW VP,

Since I don’t watch tennis on eurosport but foxtel, friend who watched Nole’s match on eurosport told me that Becker praised Nole’s performance in the second and third set saying something like that you can’t play much better than that and that Nole is back, have you heard Boris saying that?

June 5th, 2017 at 12:21 am

WB,

Watched the match from a pub so I did not listen to the comments. But ARV is a specialist on clay and yes, Nole played a very solid 2 and 3 set. Nole did not enter very “decided” at the start of last matches, but played better and better, as the matches advanced.

Just watched now the program, semifinals on Friday, will be a bit colder than on Thursday.

June 5th, 2017 at 12:32 am

Thanks VP, haven’t seen his matches really, only bits and pieces.

June 5th, 2017 at 1:11 am

I Dont care who Nadal plays as long as he reaches the final, it doesnt make his wins any less legit just because he doesnt face Djokovic before getting there, i really want the tennis gods on my side for once to give me a Murray / Nadal final, the one permetation we have never had in a final of a GS, between the top players ….

June 5th, 2017 at 1:41 am

Nole beat Rafa 7 times on clay and is the only player who beat him on all the major clay court tournaments (3 masters and RG). Most of their other clay matches were also battles.

Having said that, Rafa is well on path to win his 10th RG. There’s no way anyone else comes close.

If Rafole play the semis on Friday, I’m calling in sick at work :). What a hell! :)))

June 5th, 2017 at 4:08 am

J-Kath,

I would not rely on the fact, that Nole’s performance was less convincing. It happend also to Roger, who won in straights at Wimbly and UO 2015, until he met Nole in the final.

But agree, Rafa is the big fave here. I think, Nole has his chances, should they play semifinals.

June 5th, 2017 at 5:08 am

At UO 2015 Nole showed many signs of frustration in some matches, until he played Roger. Nole did not blink in that final. Expecting a very calm Nole, should he play semifinal against Rafa

June 5th, 2017 at 5:21 am

V.P.

I bet on the cheap i.e. no money passes – hence I use what I’ve seen and interpret that to make a prediction. I think Nole will be pressed by Thiem, but Thiem is not used to 5-setters (he pants a lot getting thru 3 relatively easy 3-setters). I believe Nole will win that match in 4 sets and will meet Rafa in the semis. Even though Nole has beaten Rafa before, Nole is not yet back to his best, hence my prediction.

PS: It is not about me hoping that Rafa will beat Nole or vis-versa.

June 5th, 2017 at 5:34 am

RZ: I’m not objective enuf to predict who will get to the final from Andy/Stan’s half. So please be mistaken again?????????????????? Weep, weep.

June 5th, 2017 at 5:39 am

J-K,

I know, there was not about your hope, who should win it. I took it as a debate on a tennis site :)
I just remembered, Nole was perhaps never convincing from the start of a GS tournament until its end, even in his golden years.

June 5th, 2017 at 5:43 am

VP:

Sure – I agree – it was an opportunity to discuss – I’m usually wrong which is why I never participate in the Bracket.

June 5th, 2017 at 7:28 am

J-K,

I am subjective for sure concerning Rafole’s topic, being a Nole fan so I see also Nole’s chances here. I assume all the neutral tennis fans are seing Rafa as the overwhalming fave, which is quind of normal.

June 5th, 2017 at 7:41 am

I started to believe, Nole may have a chance after the match against Diego. Nole’s shape is much better now.

June 5th, 2017 at 7:45 am

VP,

Do you remember our conversation about Nole’s new coach when you mentioned Ivanisevic?
Well he didn’t end up as Nole’s first coach, but Nole just said that he will announce his second coach before Wimbledon and guess what, Berdych and Goran just announced they are finished, what a timing?;)
You might have your wish, I still don’t believe it’ll happen, but …

June 5th, 2017 at 8:14 am

WB,

Great news for me , if it will happen :). Thank you

June 5th, 2017 at 8:49 am

^^ Am sure it will, Karma to good to me. Hehe

June 5th, 2017 at 8:51 am

@J-Kath, part of the problem with doing these brackets is that you have to go with the information you have the day before the tournament begins. If I was able to make the prediction the day before the match, I would have chosen Andy. But Andy was looking dire before the start of the tournament, which is why I had chosen DelPo. (It’s also why I have crazy women’s picks, since Halep was coming in injured even though she looks like a heavy favorite now).

But I also hope I’m wrong for this half and would love to see Andy keep playing well. He has to get by Nishikori first, though. Hopefully no one will sneak a gong into the stands and distract Andy with it.

June 5th, 2017 at 10:59 am

RZ: I’d rather he plays Nishikori than Verdasco (to do with match-ups rather than rankings) – I remember Wimbledon where it was touch and go for 5 sets Andy vs Verdasco.

The match-up for Stan will be Cilic as I doubt Gael can come back from 2 sets down.

June 5th, 2017 at 11:48 am

My goodness Andy muddles through again and narrowly misses a 5th!
Markus, where are you? Andy has forgotten he needs to lose in order to stop being number 1. Needs reminding..;)

June 5th, 2017 at 11:55 am

All top 8 advanced to QF bar Raonic who lost in five.

Cilic hasn’t lost a set but Wawa seems match ready. Think will be an Andy X wawa semis and Nadal x Djoko on the other side. All Slam winners. What more could we ask, top 4 seesd on semis. That would be great.

All hungry for history yet again.

QF match agaisnt Thiem will shows us where Nole is really at. This is the time to peak in a Slam.

June 5th, 2017 at 11:56 am

Andy is a bit of surprise so far, given the results from this court clay season.

June 5th, 2017 at 12:09 pm

Predict Nole-Rafa and Andy- Marin semifinals.

June 5th, 2017 at 12:11 pm